The UK’s first publicly available sustainable petrol, or biofuel, will go on sale on the 13th of June, designed specifically for classic vehicles. 

The Sustain Classic range will allow motorists to fuel their vintage vehicles with plant-based petrol, without any modifications to their engines, with three types of fuel initially available.

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Developed by fuel specialist Coryton, the fuel with the highest sustainable content promises a reduction of at least 65% in greenhouse gas emissions when compared to fossil fuels.

The pioneering products use advanced second-generation biofuel manufactured from agricultural waste, such as straw, by-products or waste from crops which wouldn’t be used for consumption. By doing so, the fuel utilises the carbon that already exists in our atmosphere, which the plants absorb as they grow, recycling it, rather than releasing additional CO2 that is currently locked underground in fossil fuel.

With an octane number >98 and bio-ethanol content of <1%, Sustain Classic has been technically tailored for classic vehicles, although it can be used on any vehicle which runs on standard forecourt petrol. It’s also formulated with a premium additive package included, which stabilises and extends the life of the fuel and helps clean and protect the engines. 

Priced from £3.80 per litre, Sustain Classic will be available from distributor Motor Spirit at Bicester Heritage from 13th June, with more stockists launching across the UK in the coming months. There are currently three variants of the drop-in replacement fuel available. All are suitable for all-year-round use.

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The fuels range from at least 33% sustainable content to at least 80%.

biofuel

David Richardson, Business Development Director at Coryton, said: “Every kilogram of CO2 we avoid adding to our atmosphere, by replacing fossil fuel with sustainable fuel, is a win. We don’t instantly have to go for the full switch to start making a genuine impact.

As more feedstocks become available, these fuels will start to contain even higher levels of traceable sustainable elements. However, we want to keep things as affordable as possible for consumers and be open about what’s actually achievable at the moment. 

“The availability of true fossil-free fuel components is limited. So, we’re setting truthful and realistic goals, producing fuels that have a meaningful impact whilst meeting the demands of the user. While we could use ‘mass balancing’ techniques to certify this fuel as 100%, we believe that it is important to be open about technology readiness and traceability. The industry will get there with the right support – which is why we think it’s important to start getting these products into the hands of consumers so they can see how easy and effective the switch could be.”

Guy Lachlan heads up Motor Spirit at Bicester Heritage, which will be one of the distributors of Sustain Classic. He said: “We’re very excited to be the launch partner for Coryton’s Sustain Classic fuel. It is vital for the future of Classic Cars and Motorcycles that environmentally-friendly liquid fuels are commercially available, and Motor Spirit’s facility at Bicester Heritage is the perfect location to start an environmental revolution! Sustain Classic represents the best available combination of usability, sustainability and quality: exactly in line with Motor Spirit’s ethos.”

Andrew Willson, CEO at Coryton, said: “We believe that Sustain Classic is the world’s first-ever sustainable fuel catering for classic vehicles, providing a credible and convenient way to run vintage vehicles without the need for fossil fuels. It’s fully certified, tested, and developed right here in the UK at our world-class blending facility.”

E-fuels Vs Biofuels

  • E-fuels are a type of synthetic fuel produced using ‘green’ hydrogen (made by electrolysing water with renewable electricity) and carbon, often sourced from waste biomass or CO2 captured from the atmosphere. An e-fuel’s removal of atmospheric carbon – either through photosynthesis when growing the biomass or by capture – is argued to offset the emissions produced when the fuel is burnt in an engine. 
  • Biofuels, like those produced by Coryton, are made from organic biomass such as agricultural waste. This is turned into bioethanol – the product currently blended into petrol to make E5 and E10 pump fuels – and then further processed into biogasoline that meets the standards for forecourt fuels.

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